1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of oxygen blowing lances which are inserted into a basic oxygen vessel in the process of making steel. More specifically the invention relates to a lance similar to the oxygen lances utilized in making steel but also includes provisions for the mounting of a sensor instrument which is attached to the nozzle of the lance and which is adapted to take readings concerning conditions within the furnace. A related patent application assigned to applicants assignee is Ser. No. 737,637 filed Nov. 1, 1976, issued Aug. 15, 1978 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,756.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical arrangements for sensor-type lances are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,161,499, Dec. 15, 1964, and 3,672,222, June 27, 1972, which employ electrical sensors for measuring molten bath temperatures. Similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,701,518 and 3,727,897 illustrate lances which use radar-type sensors to gauge the positioning of the lance within a vessel. The present invention is an improvement over the aforementioned patents in that it discloses a structure which is entirely different and novel. The present invention includes an inner chamber provided by a central pipe having at its upper end a funnel shaped pipe portion associated with structure in the nozzle region of the lance to which the sensor device is connected.